


Un lugar bajo el sol

by dame5



Category: Football RPF
Genre: FC Barcelona, Gen, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Rivalry, Volver Paris Restaurant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 22:24:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15958805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dame5/pseuds/dame5
Summary: “Like I said,” Edi sighs, failing to suppress the urge to yawn. He blinks in rapid succession—as if doing so could chase away the fatigue, “Anyone who’s going to strengthen the team is welcome.”“We already have Flaco—a solid ten,” Carlitos slaps Javier’s shoulder before rubbing his back affectionately. “Barça can keep their princess.”OrEdi and Javier share a late dinner the night before Neymar Jr. signs his contract with PSG.





	Un lugar bajo el sol

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Radami](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radami/gifts).



“He’s a glorified diva,” Carlitos gestures with his hand while setting down his bottle of _Quilmes_. “My opinion? Neymar should stay at Barça.”

 

Edi crosses his arms and turns his head to give Carlitos a searing stare. Through the glare of his thick rim glasses, he can see that he’s getting fish-eyed. _This has to be his eighth beer_. He thinks as he breaks eye contact with Carlitos to look at Javier who presses his lips and flares his nostrils as he exhales sharply through his nose.

 

“A glorified diva, I tell you.” Carlitos mutters after taking another sip of his beer.

 

Edi observes a runaway droplet of the bottle get absorbed by the cardboard beermat. When you’re drunk, it’s easy to start spewing _bona fide_ nonsense. But sometimes great truths are spoken when the filter is shut off.

 

Edi lowers his eyes to steal a glance at his watch. It’s going to be 22 hrs in a few minutes. It’s _late_.

 

“Like I said,” Edi sighs, failing to suppress the urge to yawn. He blinks in rapid succession—as if doing so could chase away the fatigue, “Anyone who’s going to strengthen the team is welcome.”

 

“We already have Flaco—a solid ten,” Carlitos slaps Javier’s shoulder before rubbing his back affectionately. “Barça can keep their princess.”

 

Something about the way Javier tries to hide his gaze from both him and Carlitos tells Edi that it hurt to have the number 10 taken away so abruptly and without warning. All to accommodate someone who had not even given half of what Javier had poured all these years at PSG.

 

A beat of silence passes and Carlitos breaks off a piece from one of the _grisines_ from the bread basket and gestures to Edi and Javier “Mírale el orto a esa mina.” he comments as his juts his chin forward before he throws the hunk of breadstick into his mouth.

 

Javier and Edi see that Carlitos was referring to a middle-aged woman at the bar who was casually pulling at the hem of her skirt. The way Carlito’s eyes wander with unchecked lust and how he chomps down on his bite with an audible crunch irritates Edi. Something about the way he carries himself when he’s drunk vaguely reminds him of someone from his childhood that he couldn’t stand. Probably one of many men his mother brought home with the hopes of giving him some semblance of a father figure. Another curiosity about alcohol. It had a way of stripping away the façade of grandiosity to reveal a lot of men as perverted, uncultured boors or functioning depressives. Depressives like his father.

 

Javier’s eyebrows shoot up as he gestures to the door with his eyes. Edi gives him a subtle nod in response. It was not pleasant to see their friend, the manager of their favorite restaurant in Paris like this.

 

“Come on, _pibes_ —just one beer isn’t going to hurt. Have one with me before you go. It’s on the house.”

 

“ _Flaqui_ —you can stay if you want. I’m going to head back home… _se hizo tarde ya_.” Edi rises from his seat.

 

“I’ve got to get going too. Edi's right. It's late.” Javier smiles.

 

Carlitos gets up and pulls Edi in for a hug before he turns to Javier.

 

“It doesn’t matter whether you wear the 10 or the 27, Flaco. You have always added that touch of class at PSG.”

 

Carlitos pulls him in for a prolonged embrace and Edi watches as Javier’s grin spreads wider. An added effort to hide his pain.

**Author's Note:**

> This might expand and become a series of character studies and ficlets with the aim to get at the heart of the rivalry between Neymar Jr. and Edi Cavani for the 2017/2018 season. Rivalries are interesting for me to explore for a lot of reasons. My aim is to uncover the motives driving both men to fight for their place and their agency to play freely and without constraints. I may be biased since I've been a PSG supporter for years, and Neymar's entrance upset some of the dynamics and further polarized the team. I've often joked that Paris Saint-Germain became "Brazil Saint-Germain" with the predominant Brazilian presence and how much was set in Neymar's favor.


End file.
